Diet Plan During Pregnancy for Indian Moms

Perfect Indian diet plan for pregnancy

A new mother is surrounded by people advising her on healthy eating during pregnancy. Even those who have not experienced pregnancy advise about ideal diet plan for expectant woman. First of all educate yourself which nutrients are most important during pregnancy for healthy development of your baby. e.g. Folic Acid, Protiens and Iron are most important nutrient for a pregnant woman. Know more about Nutrients During Pregnancy here

Now after getting loads of advice on dos and don’ts of pregnancy diet you must be wondering exactly when and how much you should be eating. Right? Find out what a day of healthy eating during your pregnancy should look like. Below are a few recommended healthy food choices and good times to have them specially for Indian pregnant women.

Lunch at around 12-1pm:

Light snack At around 4pm

Dinner at around 7-8pm:

Easy to digest salad, dal, rice, chapatti, vegetable subzi/curry

Before sleeping at around 10pm: 1 cup of Milk with date syrup/protein powder

IMPORTANT NOTES: 1. As a pregnant woman you need no extra calories during first trimester, about 350 extra a day in 2nd trimester, about 450 extra calories a day in 3rd trimester. You should not overload yourself with fat rich food. 2. It’s very beneficial to have vegetables and grains (like wheat or rice) in your breakfast too. A healthy start of day for a fetus is as important as for any grown up child. 3. Consume these food items daily: 2-3 walnuts, almonds soaked in water over night, banana/fig, spinach/fenugreek, raggi, sprouted beans sp. Moong 4. Ghee has DHA, its good for your baby but remember to limit daily intake. 5. If you are a non-vegetarian then include these items (well cooked) in your diet regularly: Eggs (one daily), omega 3 fatty acid rich fish like Salmon/Rawas/Rohu , Chicken liver, Mutton liver. 6. Replace sugar with jaggery wherever possible. 7. Consume less of this: tea/coffee, spices, chilly, junk food, deep fried foods 8. Replace spicy pickles and spicy chutneys with healthy chutneys (with nearly no chilly) like coconut + garlic , sesame + garlic, Kaarale/Khurasani (thistle seeds ), Jawas (Flax seed) garlic-onion chutney 9. In case you have morning sickness or nausea then have these: Lemon, ginger, herbal tea (peppermint tea), fennel seeds, Amla

Why breakfast is important for Pregnant Women?

1. Your baby is growing rapidly and constantly inside you, the development is going on 24 hrs a day. When you wake up in the morning you need to refuel and replenish your body, and recover the long break of a night. 2 . The breakfast is the most important source of all nutrients and the energy. Whatever you eat first is going to be absorbed very effectively. So select the most healthy item of the day as your first food e.g. almonds soaked in water overnight. 3. Having breakfast actually helps you to prevent and reduce morning sickness. Even if you don’t feel like eating in case of nausea, eating something healthy is a must. 4. With healthy and timely breakfast you get: steady and normal body sugar level, heart health for you and your baby, and help in prevention of excess body weight.

Having food at the right time is as important as having balanced, nutritious food. Make a suitable diet plan for yourself and stick to it. Having a variety of vegetables and fruits can cover your nutritional need better. you should always consult your doctor before making drastic changes in your diet during pregnancy. Also you might have or develop allergy for certain foods during pregnancy for which you want to be careful. Enjoy your pregnancy days with healthy foods!

My mom in law forces me to eat a lot and my doctor warned me to watch the weight. I am not very fat but I am gaining weight a lot. Mostly doctor is worried that I may land up over weight. Traditionally they say, eat for 2 when pregnany. Is it bad to eat for 2 during pregnancy?

Hi Shanti, No its not like you have to eat for 2. Your nutritional intake is surely for 2 but not quantity wise. You should cut down the junk/low nutritional foods to make sure you get all daily required nutrients. Due to increased food intake and hormonal changes many women gain excess weight during pregnancy which is why your doctor might have told you to watch the weight. For a healthy baby you should put on only expected and required weight. So increase the dietary fiber rich foods and cut down unnecessary carbs.

Hi Meenu, Hemoglobin is very important for healthy pregnancy so try some more recipes of BeetRoot for having it : Here are some Beetroot recipes Having the iron rich foods will help increase hemoglobin levels: Dates, Spinach, Red meat, Fish(Low in mercury), beans, Eat Apples, strawberries, prunes , pomegranate, broccoli

Hi Vibha, The swollen feet are due to extra blood created during pregnancy. The food wont help you. You should talk to doctor. Doctors usually suggest effective body postures. Also special feet-creams are recommended: Find details here

Hi Trupti, Lamb meat (Mutton) is fats rich so regardless one is pregnant or not, this is one of foods to eat in controlled quantity. There is nothing wrong in having meat during pregnancy but dont eat spicy curries or deep fried foods. You may have lamb liver, its very healthy for you n baby. Balance the meal with greens/salads/fiber-rich-foods to avoid digestion issues. (Mutton is hard to digest)

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We provide information to Indian moms about pregnancy, breastfeeding, baby food, raising child, parenting style. GoMama247 is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.in. Click here to know about us